New York Minute
by FusseKat
Summary: Final installment of the 'Sarah' trilogy. Sequel to 'A Major Case' & 'California Premiere'. Sarah's new book tour brings her back to New York for the first time. Will she be able to conquer her fears and doubts? Will there still be a place for Bobby?
1. Chapter 1

_This is the thrilling conclusion to the 'Sarah' Trilogy – **A Major Case** (Part 1) and **California Premiere** (Part 2). _

_Many thanks to all who have read the previous installments, I hope the conclusion wraps everything up in a satisfactory way. _

* * *

CHAPTER 1

Fade in…

…."Welcome back, I'm Jessica Andrews and we are here with author, Sarah Stevens and we're discussing her latest book, 'Testament'. Sarah I'm sure one of the questions your many fans are curious about is, why a supernatural thriller? After four successful crime dramas and two that you adapted into the screenplay for the films, my question is what prompted the change in focus, from crime to supernatural? Did you accomplish everything you'd hoped to with your crime drama fiction?"

As the camera pans back, the home audience gets another look at the young author. Sarah Stevens was a petite young woman, in her early 30's with long chestnut colored hair and green eyes, green eyes that were now flashing a warning signal to the interviewer, if she was only smart enough to read it, which Sarah doubted. This was getting dangerously close to something that had been discussed earlier and all parties agreed wouldn't be brought into the interview.

"Well truthfully Jessica, I didn't set out to accomplish anything with my first four novels or even with my latest other than to enable me to finance my addiction to Manolo Blahnik and Prada." Laughing, she continued, "Really though, "Testament" is still at heart a detective story, as were my previous works. "Testament" is still basically a detective story, just now cloaked in the mystique of the supernatural rather than nature of man. There are still mysteries to explain; clues to discover and sift through, there are deceptions and truths, pain and triumph, victims and heroes. Fairly universal themes regardless of how you dress them up."

"Well, ok. Surely, the tragic murders of your agent, your best friend and her husband must have had an effect on you. Surely, this played a part in changing your focus to a different genre?"

The hair bristled on the back of Sarah's neck and the shock of betrayal clearly registered on her face. The viewing audience would have no doubt, how she felt about that question. Sarah had made it a pre-condition of participating in the interview that the Michael DeVry murders would not be a part of the interview. Jessica had readily agreed, as had her producer. Sarah tried to compose herself enough to answer the interviewer's rude question. Her brain raced through the events of almost two years ago as she formed a retort.

Very quietly, Sarah said, "You left out my agent's assistant."

"I'm sorry? I don't think our audience could hear that?" Pointed out Jessica, as she leaned forward like the vulture Sarah saw in her mind's eye.

Clearing her throat, Sarah spoke more forcefully, "I said, you left out my agent's assistant." Taking a deep breath, Sarah continued, "The crime drama, fiction based tales that I and many other writers have used to illustrate the sometimes terrible nature of man, bears little relationship to the brutality and cruelty, the messiness that real crime, real murder is. Being in the unfortunate position of having been involved in both fictional crime and real crime, believe me I'll take fictional crime any day of the week. Right now, I'm just not up to dealing with either one."

"Well, there you have it. I'd like to thank Sarah Stevens for joining us this morning on 'New York A.M.'. And as a reminder for our local viewers, Sarah will be at Scribner's Book Store in Manhattan on Wednesday evening to sign copies of her new supernatural thriller, 'Testament'."

Smiling graciously, Jessica thanked Sarah again.

"And thank you Jessica, for having me on the show." Sarah returned icily.


	2. Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2

Alexandria Eames-Davenport turned off the TV as New York A.M. went off the air and looked over at her husband Andy. Andy had stopped eating and was looking at Alex, waiting for her to say something. Finally, Andy asked, "Do you think he knows Sarah's back in town? Bobby wouldn't be watching New York A.M. would he?"

Alex looked at the clock on the microwave, 7:45. Shaking her head, "No, Bobby's been in the office by 7:00 the last few months. Whether he knows if Sarah's back or not, I don't know. He hasn't said anything. I'm not sure he would. I guess it's about time for me to go and find out, though."

Alex leaned over to kiss her husband goodbye. She still marveled at how she came to be married again at all. Meeting Andy on a blind date and Their oft-disrupted relationship had flourished with the additional time they were able to spend together. Within six months, they had married. They both had discussed how the events that Jessica Andrews had alluded to played a role in what prompted the change in them. Consciously or not, they had realized how the course of your life could change in a heartbeat. As Don Henley wrote, all it takes is "a New York Minute".

"Be safe. Call me later, if you find out anything more about…." Andy pointed to the now silenced TV.

"I will. To both, about staying safe and calling you when I find out what's going on. Walk me to the door?"

Andy got up, put his arm around Alex's shoulder, and headed towards the door. Upon reaching the door, Andy grabbed both of Alex's hands in his and kissed her again, and then pulled her tight to him and kissed her again. He smelled the fragrance of her shampoo and knew he'd think back on this moment many times today.

Softly he said, "If we have to we can see Bobby through this again… but I'd rather not have to."

"Yeah, I'm with you on that. If only he could…" With a sigh Alex opened the door and looked back at her husband, "You be safe too."

_If… _Alex thought. No, if Bobby didn't know that Sarah was going to be in town and were to accidentally find out, she really didn't know what it would take for Bobby to keep it together. She worried that maybe this time he wouldn't be able find the resolve.

For a couple of weeks after she and he had returned from Los Angeles Bobby had seemed his old self. It seemed as if Sarah and Bobby had made some tentative steps towards reconciliation during their brief time in Los Angeles. Then slowly, Alex saw Bobby drifting again, he became distracted and irritable – it was just like when Sarah had first left New York. She wrote that off to time and distance, Sarah and Bobby didn't seem to do well apart. She had been trying to think of a way to broach the topic, but hadn't come up with the way yet. Or the nerve.


	3. Chapter 3

CHAPTER 3

Detective Robert Goren looked up and around the squad room and stretched. Wiping his hand across his already tired face, he distractedly looked back at the two open files on his desk. 7:20 and he'd already been at his desk for almost and hour and a half, trying to see what he hadn't seen earlier. The inconsistencies had to be there. Whether it was something that shouldn't be there or something that should have been but wasn't, he didn't know, he couldn't find it. Maybe some more coffee for himself and he'd pick up a cup of Eames' favorite blend for her while he was at it. He'd started buying her coffee in the morning not long after they became partners. He knew it wasn't her first or even her second cup of the day, but too much caffeine never seemed to his partner's problem, although caffeine withdrawal was a real possibility. If he left now, he'd be back from Starbucks just about the time Alex came strolling in at 8:00. The mental picture of Eames 'strolling' into work was comical, and far from accurate. It was entirely too casual for the entrance his partner usually made when she came into the office.

Bobby grabbed his jacket from the back of his chair and made his way out of One Police Plaza. He knew he'd been neglectful the last couple of weeks about picking up coffee for his partner on his way to work, something he'd done since they first became partners. He had been coming in so early lately, that it would have been horrid sludge by the time she came in, so he'd stopped. Eames hadn't commented and had started drinking coffee from the cafeteria at the office.

He had become more distracted these last few weeks, distracted and unfocused. Alex was usually able to set him straight, but this time nothing seemed able to reach him. Deep down he felt that this was the beginning of what he'd feared for so long, starting to happen. He wasn't ready for it. But right now, his immediate journey was to Starbuck's to pick up a grande double shot Vanilla Latte for Alex and a large black coffee for himself.

Standing in the short line, he congratulated himself on timing it right. He often stood in this line starting outside the building. Now there were only two customers in front of him. He glanced at the TV playing overhead by the few tables and chairs across the room. That morning show, 'New York A.M.' was on. It didn't look like too many people were paying attention to the on-air interview. Before he could see whom it was with, the show went to commercial. Bobby placed his order and then stepped aside to join the few others milling around waiting for their lattes, espressos and cappuccinos.

Glancing back at the television, Bobby recognized the woman on screen, the co-host of 'New York A.M.' While he thought she was very good looking, he also thought she was shallow and a terrible interviewer. She had no idea how to engage her interviewee. Bobby usually found interview shows difficult to sit through; He would pick apart both the interviewer and the interviewee. He didn't find them entertaining or enlightening at all. As the camera swung towards her guest, Bobby's heart stopped, literally stopped. He could feel the pain and numbness his body spreading through his body. His breathing stopped. He couldn't think. He couldn't speak. He couldn't move. He felt his body being to collapse upon it. It happened every time he saw her, it didn't matter if it was a planned meeting or completely unexpected.

Sarah. Sarah was back in New York. He'd known she was going to be back in town soon, he just wasn't sure when. She had confided that she wasn't looking forward to the book tour, especially here in New York. They talked often enough that he knew her book tour would bring her back soon for a book signing, but for the last few weeks, they'd been playing phone tag. They'd been talking for the last several months, since he and Alex had worked a case in Los Angeles. Neither had been able to move beyond the superficiality of their carefully worded phone conversations. They worked much better face to face.


	4. Chapter 4

CHAPTER 4

Sarah was seething. She wanted to slap Jessica Andrews hard enough to knock her teeth out and that smirk from her face.

"Hey, hey, hey, everything is fair game. If you really believed this was going to stay off the record, you're just not thinking about how high the interest still is in what happened. You know that your fans want to know about."

"Actually I thought my fans would be more interested in my book and not the events of almost two years ago. It isn't only me that your question impacts, it brings it all back into the lives of everyone who knew these people, cared for these people and miss these people. I hope that if the day ever arises that someone has the opportunity and the means to expose your pain for the entertainment of others, they have the good grace and integrity not to do so." With that Sarah unclipped the microphone attached to her blouse, grabbed her bag and walked out. She was walking so fast, she left her assistant, Janelle Thompson trailing behind her, trying to catch up.

Outside the television studio, Sarah began shaking so violently she thought she might be having a seizure. She hadn't wanted to do the show. She hadn't wanted to come to New York as part of the book tour. She had reluctantly agreed once her agent convinced her how important the New York market was to the success of any book. She'd had two non-negotiable stipulations. One, she wouldn't appear at any of the Barnes and Nobles in New York, and two; she would not talk about the murders or any of the events surrounding them. On the surface, everyone was very agreeable about it. 'New York AM' obviously didn't feel bound by their agreement to respect the restrictions. Janelle tried calming her down and hailing a cab at the same time to get them back to their hotel.

Even after two years, Sarah thought back to what she was only able to refer to as 'the events'. First, there were the deaths of her agent, Amanda Cartwright and her assistant Kelly Jacobs. Angela Simpson had been Sarah's best friend for years, had also been the special events coordinator for Barnes and Nobles, and had handled all of Sarah's book signings up until this current tour. Angela, David and their infant son, Sean had also died that day. Michael's kidnapping of her. There had been the standoff and shootout between Michael and Bobby. And her eventual rescue by Bobby and Alex. All those events so painful and disastrous for everyone involved. No one had come out of it untouched.

"I know, I know, that bitch took a cheap shot. You handled it well. She didn't get what she was after and you made her look bad. You did great." Janelle said as she bundled Sarah into the cab. "I'm sure that the phone calls are already flying back and forth between the lawyers."

"That must be why I feel so great." Sarah said sarcastically.

"Look, you had to know that it was going to come up…."

"Which is why I didn't want to come to New York, and especially why I didn't want to do a show like 'New York A.M.'".

Janelle had worked with Sarah for the last three weeks. Which was long enough now to know now was not the time to press her, now was the time to allow Sarah some quiet time. Not that Sarah was difficult or anything. If anything, working on the book tour with Sarah had been the easiest three week gig she'd ever had. She was seriously thinking of asking Sarah if she needed a full time assistant, especially now, knowing that Sarah had decided to move back to New York.

Sarah leaned back into the cushions of the seat and thought about her life so far. Her life had been as unremarkable as most until her parent's death just before her college graduation. It had been a car accident on the Long Island Expressway. Their car had been forced off the road by a drunk driver and flipped over. Fourteen years later, and it still weighed heavily on her.

Being an only child of only children, she had inherited her parent's brownstone and with the combined insurance payouts, she gutted the home and turned it into four multi-level condominium apartments, which she rented out, with the help of a management company. Until two years ago, she had occupied one, which until recently she had leased out.

Her ex-boyfriend Michael's rampage through her life two years ago had shaken her so much, that she'd needed time and distance to find peace with the events. Even though she had written crime dramas for years, the brutal and graphic murders of her agent and assistant, Angela Cartwright and Kelly Bishop had been her first real life experience with the brutality of murder. The deaths of her best friend Angie, her husband David and their infant son, Sean followed only hours later. Then, for his last act of violence before taking his own life, he had lured current boyfriend to an isolated cabin by kidnapping her. His plan had been to kill Bobby and then himself. This would leave Sarah completely alone to face the guilt and sorrow of being the only one left.

His plan had worked although not entirely the way he envisioned. Bobby hadn't died, he'd barely been injured. But Sarah had been consumed by guilt and sorrow and had wound up pushing Bobby so far away that they'd lost each other.

Not long after the deaths an opportunity to write the screenplay for her first novel had landed at her doorstep. With her having such a terrible time getting any kind of balance or peace back into her life, she had been convinced that this was a perfect opportunity to start chapter in her life. As much as she felt the need to run away, she hadn't wanted to leave Bobby.

She knew he'd never be able to leave New York. His position as a detective with the NYPD's Major Case Squad was integral to which he was. She had often kidded him that he'd do the job free, if they wouldn't pay him. It was what he was born to do.

There was also the matter of his mother and her health. He was the only family member to visit her at Carmel Ridge. She had lived there for the last dozen years. His father and his brother had abandoned both of them years before. Sarah knew he would never leave her.

After weeks of growing distance between Sarah and Bobby after Michael's attack on Bobby, Sarah broached the subject one night at dinner. Initially Bobby didn't react at all. He sat there looking at his salad. Almost as if he hadn't heard her. Then slowly, carefully he told her he thought that her going to California might be a good idea. She sat there unable to breathe. She realized this was THE moment.

He sat there in front of her, but she could see that he had already left this relationship. There was no reason left for her to stay. If Bobby could so easily walk away, there really was no reason for her to stay and try to piece back a life together with him. She hadn't envisioned things ending like that. She had held out a small hope that he'd tell her not to go, that together they could get through this, and put the horror behind them. He hadn't, he'd just let her go. He'd actually encouraged her to go. It was over. Quietly, with no bitterness or anger, just regrets.

Over the next few weeks, he'd helped her pack; everything had been civil, very polite. Bobby had even driven her to the airport.

Sarah was jolted back to the present by the jarring of the cab hitting a pothole. She heard Janelle say she was going to book her several spa treatments for the rest of the day. It would relax her and help put her in the proper mood for the book signing tomorrow night.

"Fine, fine." Sarah murmured as she laid her head back and closed her eyes right now wishing she'd never heard of New York.


	5. Chapter 5

CHAPTER 5

Alex stepped off the elevator and through the doors that led to the bullpen of the Major Case Squad. Captain Danny Ross was walking towards her, headed for the elevator.

"Captain's meeting, boss?"

"You've got it Eames. Hey, what's with your partner?" He nodded towards where Bobby sat at his desk. "He's been here a couple of hours already."

Glancing over to Bobby's desk, she saw him slouched down in his chair, staring at the coffee cup he was balancing on his knee. "Oh you know, just going over the case file for the Mahoney trial."

"Great, when I get back, I want a status report on the Taylor homicide." Ross turned and strode towards the elevator for his weekly ass chewing from the Chief of D's. It wasn't just him; it was all the Captains of the Detective Bureaus. But Danny certainly got more than his share negative input, chiefly because of his two most troublesome detectives, Bobby Goren and Mike Logan. They were also his two best detectives. But at the Monday meetings, it didn't always feel like an even trade off. It just wouldn't be Monday without starting the week off with a slap down by the Chief.

"Sure thing Captain, I'll let Goren know." Alex said as she turned and walked towards her desk and the waiting cup of Starbucks she saw sitting on her desk.

Bobby heard Alex approaching and roused himself enough to greet her, "Morning Alex, your coffee is on your desk, double shot, just the way you like it." He looked up as he said, "I know it's been awhile."

"Thanks Bobby. How'd you know who it was? Recognize my perfume?"

"Ah… um… No, no it was your stride, your footsteps," Bobby distractedly replied, "your perfume? The air flow is in the opposite direction, towards the Captain's office. I never smell your perfume at all."

Alex stood looking at him non pulsed as she shook her head and rolled her eyes, sometimes humor and sarcasm were just lost on Bobby.

Alex sat down and took a sip of her coffee and burnt her tongue on the hot rich liquid. Bobby must have just gotten back from his coffee run. She glanced up at Bobby and wondered how to begin.

Bobby seemed to understand that and began, "You know…. Um… balance is so critical and yet so precarious. Shift my weight just a fraction of an inch and this coffee is all over the floor." He removed his hand from the coffee cup and watched as it balanced on his knee. As it started to wobble, he reached for it and took a large gulp of the scalding liquid. "You stop to pick up a coffee and the world turns upside down. Funny, isn't it? What's that old Alanis Morrissette song lyric, "Pretty damn ironic, don't ya think?"

Eames let out a deep sigh, "So, you saw Sarah on 'New York A.M.'? I was hoping maybe you knew about it and…"

"I knew New York was coming up on the book tour, but I'd kind of lost track of the actual date. With Sarah in the midst of the book tour, we've played a lot of phone tag the last couple of weeks."

Reaching up to rub the back of his neck, he muttered so softly that Alex almost didn't hear, "I don't know how this is going to play out, but we're behind in the count and down two strikes. This is our last chance. One more and we're both out."

Leaning forward, Bobby changed gears, "Now about these two witness statements, I'm missing something. Take a look at these and see if anything jumps out at you?"

"Sure, sure, let me take a look at them." Obviously, Bobby wasn't going to be any more forthcoming, so it was back to work. Bobby didn't normally miss the littlest hints and clues while on the job; it was only in his personal life that he was clueless.


	6. Chapter 6

CHAPTER 6

Several hours after the disaster of the morning interview, Sarah had to admit that the pampering she received at the hotel spa had helped a lot. She felt relaxed and almost at peace. She owed Janelle big time for this. She'd had the right prescription after all. Sarah thought they both deserved a nice dinner now. It would be her treat this time.

Heading to the elevator, she stepped aside as a young couple hurriedly exited, and rode up to her fifth floor room by herself. She knew she should call Bobby; he might have seen or heard about the show this morning. But she had been avoiding his calls for almost a week and wasn't sure she was ready to talk to him yet. She was nervous and confused about what she was about to do. Several months ago, when he and Alex had worked on a case in Los Angeles they had tentatively reconnected. They'd gotten along well; it really was easy being with him. It was when they were apart that the fear and doubts would resurface.

Entering her room, Sarah kicked off her shoes and fell onto the bed. Reaching across the bed, she picked up the phone and dialed Janelle's room number. There was no answer, so she left a message asking Janelle to call her back about dinner. Stretching she reached down and pulled up the blanket and lay back down. After the stress of the last few weeks on this tour, and the relaxing spa treatments a nap was definitely called for. A nap before dinner with Janelle was a good idea. A nap before calling Robert was necessary.

Several hours later, Sarah awoke in her darkened room. Rolling over she looked at the alarm clock on the end table. She was surprised to see that it was after 5 p.m. Expecting to see the flashing light of the phone indicating a missed message, she turned to the phone and was surprised the message indicator wasn't flashing. Sarah picked up the phone to try Janelle's room again. Still no answer there, so she called Janelle's cell phone. This went straight to her voice mail. After leaving another message, Sarah sighed as she hung up the handset. She got up and got her cell phone to check it for messages there. There was a missed message on that phone. The caller ID showed a local number, but one she didn't recognize. She punched in her password to listen to the message. It was a message from Bobby,

"Hi Sarah, its Bobby. This phone tag has to end. I saw that you were on New York A.M. this  
morning when I went into Starbucks to get Alex her coffee, but didn't get a chance to see or  
hear the interview. I hope it went well.I'm sure you're still very busy, but I'm hoping we can  
get together for dinner soon. Call me when you can."

Sarah fell back onto the pillow. As much as she wanted to see Bobby, and talk to Bobby, and be with Bobby, she knew it was going to bring back all the memories of what happened. Especially now, here in New York and after what happened on the show this morning, it was all that more fresh in her mind. It had been easier in L.A. They had been able to get through the awkwardness of their meeting on the beach outside her rented condominium. She had been very surprised that Bobby would make that first move, but he had.

It was during those few days in L.A. that Sarah realized that Bobby hadn't been looking for a way out when he told her to go to accept the offer to go to L.A. to write the screenplay. He hadn't known how to tell her not to go and she hadn't known how to tell him not to let her go. Now it seemed that neither knew how to get it back to where they'd been.

Sarah punched the call back feature on her phone and heard Bobby's phone ringing in her ear.

"Goren."

Closing her eyes, she forced a bright tone and laughed at the briskness of his answer, "Hi Bobby, its Sarah, returning your call. Don't you look at the caller ID before you answer your phone? Or am I in that much trouble for the phone tag we've been playing?"

"Sarah, hi. Um… I wasn't expecting you to call on this phone. I didn't realize I called you from this phone until now. This is my work cell, how are you?"

"Slipping up in your old age, hmm? But I guess that's why I didn't recognize the number. I'm good, how are you doing? Is this a bad time to talk?"

"No, its fine, I'm fine. I was just finishing some paperwork, and was hoping you'd call before I left. I was wondering if you'd feel up to getting something to eat. Some place casual where we could catch up."

Bobby had been sitting at his desk when his phone rang, but had walked into one of the interview rooms. Logan and Wheeler were at their desks, within eavesdropping range, and Alex would be returning from the vending machines any second. Bobby wanted a little more privacy.

"Um, I was trying to set up dinner with my assistant, but she's not returning any of my calls, so I guess I'm free for dinner."

"So, you'll settle for me, is that it?" Bobby said, laughing.

"Far from settling, you know that. How about we make it simple and eat here at the hotel restaurant? You're still downtown. 1PP is only a couple of blocks from the Drake, that's where I'm staying."

"That sounds good. How's 45 minutes?" Bobby asked. He saw Eames walk back to her desk and saw her looking for him. He tapped on the window of the interview room. She nodded and sat down to wait for him.

"Perfect. I'll call down and see about a reservation. We can always sit in the bar and wait if we have to. Give me a call before you get here and I'll meet you downstairs in the lobby."

"Okay. I'll see you in a little bit. Bye Sarah."

"Bye Bobby, I'll see you soon." _Hopefully my heart will have stopped racing by then. _


	7. Chapter 7

CHAPTER 7

Bobby could never tell how a phone conversation with Sarah had gone. He wasn't sure now, if she really wanted to have dinner with him, or if she didn't know how to get out of it. She had suggested the hotel restaurant, maybe because she wouldn't have to go anywhere with him. She'd be able to make a quick escape. Bobby sighed as he walked towards his desk.

"Was that Sarah?" Alex asked, hopefully.

"Yes, it was. I called her earlier; she was just returning my call."

"So?"

"Eames." Bobby sounded exasperated, but inwardly he was cautiously jumping for joy.

"We're going to dinner. Are you about ready to call it a night? I'm sure Andy would like to see you at a decent hour for a change." Bobby started straightening up his desk. He was thinking about running upstairs to get a quick shower and shave before meeting Sarah. He might even have a clean shirt in his locker.

"Go, get ready. I'll straighten up here and I'll see you in the morning." Eames practically pushed Bobby out of the squad room.

"You must really be in a hurry to get out of here, if you're pushing me out this fast." Bobby looked up and focused on his partner.

"That's right. If I get home before Andy, he has to cook dinner. If you think I'm going to miss something like that, you've learned nothing about me in seven years. Now hurry up and go before I change my mind and let you clean up this place. Tell Sarah hi for me."

"All right, all right I'm going. I'll see you in the morning."

"Remember, technically you don't have to be in at the crack of dawn every morning. Live it up tonight, Goren. All you gotta do is make it in by 8:00 a.m., anything earlier than that is just overkill." Mike Logan had walked up behind Goren during his and Alex's exchange.

Logan had overheard enough of the conversation to figure out Goren had a date, someone the Eames knew and obviously approved. Not something he'd seen much evidence of until now.

Logan and Goren had an uneasy truce between them ever since Logan's one time girl friend, Gina had known about off the books prisoner's at Brooklyn Federal Prison. That had pretty much ended the personal relationship between Logan and Gina, but the investigation had helped pave the way for Logan to get back to a Manhattan assignment and off a Staten Island beat. It had resurrected Logan's career.

Eames turned to shoot Logan a sharp look and was about to make a comment about Logan's tendency to involve himself in situations that were none of his business. Bobby's reply stopped her.

"If anyone knows about barely making it under the wire, it would be you Logan." Out of the corner of Bobby's eye, he saw Logan's partner, Megan Wheeler snicker.

"You tell him, Goren." Wheeler added as she walked by Logan and playfully punched him on the arm. "He got you partner."

"What about having my back, Wheeler?" Logan spun around to stare at his partner.

"Mikey, on a play like that, between you and Goren, you are on your own." Wheeler sat at her desk and picked up the phone.

"Go on, Bobby, get out of here." Eames pressed one more time.

"All right, I'm outta here. See you tomorrow." Bobby exited the squad room and took the stairs by the elevator two at a time to the locker room one flight up.


	8. Chapter 8

CHAPTER 8

Bobby pulled up to the Drake Hotel and turned his keys over to the valet. He stood outside for a minute, wishing for a moment that he hadn't given up smoking. He reached for his cell phone and dialed Sarah's cell phone.

"Hi Bobby, are you almost here?"

"Actually I'm right outside. I just gave my keys to the valet."

"Grrr… Bobby, you were supposed to call me when you got close, so that I could meet you in the lobby. I'll hurry and be right down. Oh, we have a reservation for dinner in about half an hour, I thought we could get a drink in the bar while we wait."

"I'll see you there." Bobby asked the doorman where the restaurant was. It was across the lobby and down to the left. He passed the restaurant on the way to the bar, so he stopped to double check on the reservation.

"Good evening, sir. Can I help you?"

"I hope so. You have a reservation for Stevens for 7:30?"

"Let me check." The hostess ran down the list of names in front of her. "Um, no sir, I don't have a reservation under that name for any time and we are fully booked." She looked up apologetically.

"What? Oh wait, is there a reservation under the name of Goren, for the same time?"

"Yes, that's better. 7:30, a table for two." This time she looked up with an expression full of relief.

"That's right. We'll be at the bar."

"Let me give you a pager. It will vibrate, just like a cell phone. If you haven't finished your drink, you're welcome to bring it with you from the bar."

He took the pager and slipped ii into his jacket pocket. "Thank you."

The bar next to the restaurant was a quiet and refined place in dark wood with soft lighting. A couple of men were sitting at the bar watching ESPN on the TV hanging above the bar. He sat at a table with a sight line to the entry, so that he'd be able to see Sarah as she came in. As he sat down a waitress came over.

"Can I get you a drink, sir?"

"Yes, I'll have a double Glenlivet, neat, and a double Bombay martini, dirty, straight up with four or five olives on the side."

"We have blue cheese stuffed olives or regular pimento stuffed. Which would you prefer?"

A voice from behind the waitress said, "Oh, I'd love the blue cheese stuffed olives." Sarah had come up behind the waitress while Bobby was ordering.

"Blue cheese stuffed it is. I'll get this right out to you." The waitress smiled as she walked over to the bar to give the bartender the order.

Bobby stood, his heart was racing, and his palms were sweaty. "Sarah, you look… amazing."

Sarah, who was just as nervous as Bobby was, replied, "Well thank you. That's… that's what I was going for. Amazing. You look pretty good yourself."

Bobby plucked at the lapel of his jacket as he said, "What this old thing?" Bobby stepped forward to pull out Sarah's chair. As he did, he caught the scent of her perfume, Valentino. He'd never told her, but that scent always made him weak in the knees.

"How 'bout a hello hug?" Sarah asked as she set her evening bag down on the table.

She reached out for him and as he stepped up to the embrace, she smelled his cologne. He was still using Varvatos Vintage. She'd suggested he try that not long after they started seeing each other. She loved the scent on him. The combination of Vintage colognei, soap and Bobby was powerful.

They sat and Sarah looked closely at Bobby. "Well, it's kind of hard to tell in this dim light, but you do, you look really good. Things must be working out for you." She could see that he'd lost some of the extra weight she'd noticed when he was in L.A.

"Not too bad. Work is work, about the same as always, all consuming. We're working with a new captain, Deakins retired. Other than that, I've got no complaints."

"Deakins retired. Wow, wasn't he a little young to retire?"

"He had his time in, and there were some other things going on. He was set up by a former cop, they played it out that Deakins covered up for one of his detectives on a bad shooting, and no, it wasn't me." Bobby added before Sarah could ask. Bobby looked up and grinned as Sarah dipped her head as she realized she was staring at him. "He rationalized that it would be easier and better for the department to just walk away, so that's what he did."

"That's so unfair. I know you really liked him. It must have been hard to see him go through something like that."

"Eames and I tried to get him to fight it. But he was really worried about the morale of the department and the squad if he chose to fight it, so he walked away. He and Karen have moved up to Mount Kisco and is working with the local PD on a consulting basis."

"Mount Kisco? Wow. It really is a small world, isn't it?" She thought about her connection to Mount Kisco.

"I don't know about small, but deeply intertwined."

"That's no joke."

The waitress returned with their drinks and a small plate of olives. As she placed the small plate between Bobby and Sarah, she said, "I brought a few extra olives, they're really good,"

Sarah smiled up at the woman and said, "Oh, thank you so much. That's really nice of you."

Sarah picked one up and took a small bite to taste it. "Oh Bobby, you've got to try one of these. She's right, they're great." She popped the rest of the olive in her mouth and reached for her drink.

Bobby passed but he did pick up his drink and take a big gulp from it. This didn't escape Sarah's notice.

"Are ya a little thirsty Bobby?" Sarah asked.

"Just a little, I'm better now." Bobby's eyes crinkled over the top of his glass as he smiled. "So tell me some book tour stories. I'm sure you've got a hundred."

"A hundred and one." Sarah said as she grinned back at him. Sarah started to recite a litany of crazy events that had occurred from Los Angeles all the way across the country to New York.

The pager from the restaurant started vibrating its way across the table. "I guess our table is ready." Sarah continued her recitation as Bobby threw a few bills on the table and started to pick up their drinks.

"Oh, sir, I can take those over to the restaurant for you." The waitress came over carrying a small tray and placed both drinks on it. "Follow me, and we'll get you all set up over there."


	9. Chapter 9

CHAPTER 9

Sarah and Bobby followed her to the restaurant. She stopped as the hostess stepped up and asked, "Goren, party of two?" Bobby nodded yes. "Sheila, they're at table twelve."

If you'll follow me?" She led the way through the restaurant towards the back. His first impression was that the table was probably not the best, and he wished he'd thought to make a reservation before waiting to hear back from Sarah. But he was pleasantly surprised when they were led to a clear enclosed patio with a fountain in the middle. They had a view of the courtyard with its lit trees and soft lighting.

Bobby pulled the chair out for Sarah as Sheila the bar's waitress set their drinks down. Bobby reached into his jacket and pulled out a 10 bill that he placed on the tray she carried. "Thank you Sheila for the wonderful service."

"My pleasure, sir. Thank you very much." Sheila left to go back to the bar. She'd been working at bars and clubs long enough to recognize a reunion when she saw one. They seemed like nice people. She hoped it worked out for them.

They finished their drinks, chatted about this and that before ordering. Sarah ordered sea bass while Bobby opted for the veal scaloppini. Bobby also ordered a dry white wine that would go well with both meals.

"…and well, that pretty much brings you up to date, until today." As Sarah said this, her face tightened.

Bobby asked, "What happened today to upset you?"

Sarah closed her eyes and exhaled. "You said you saw New York A.M. this morning. I guess you missed the part where the co-host Jessica Andrews brought up the murders and everything. I wanted to rip her eyes out."

"I'm sorry Sarah. I guess it's going to keep coming up for a long time."

"I… that's one of the reasons I didn't want to do any radio or talk shows, especially here in New York, but I let Janelle talk me into the one show. Janelle is my assistant on the tour, actually, she works for my publisher, but they've loaned her out to me for this book tour. Other than letting her talk me into doing "New York A.M"., she's been a great assistant."

"So what's up next? How many more stops on the tour?"

"Today was it. I'm done. All book tours seem to end for me in New York. I have a few things to take care here, mostly having to do with my apartment. My tenants moved out about three weeks ago and I've wanted to check out the condition before renting it out again. But then, my lease on the condo in Los Angeles is up at the end of the month, and I've kind of been thinking about…" She had been looking down and twirling one of the stuffed olives around in her drink while she spoke. Now she looked up. "…well about moving back here."

Bobby's heart stopped. Did he really hear that? Sarah was thinking about moving back to the city. "Do you think you're ready to come back to the city? To your apartment?" Bobby asked, his voice tinged with concern.

"Am I ready to come back to the city? I don't know. I really don't. Today shook my confidence a little. Am I ready to come back to my apartment? Absolutely. I love that place." She looked straight into Bobby's eyes as she said, "There are no bad memories there, only good ones."

"Yeah, only good ones." Bobby acknowledged, and added silently, _and a few regrets. _"Only good ones."

"So, how about a toast to… to good memories." Sarah filled their glasses and handed Bobby's back to him. As their fingers brushed, Sarah felt something deep within her crack open.

"To good memories." They both raised their glasses and drank.

The waiter returned and asked, "Will you be having any dessert with us tonight? Or coffee?"

Bobby looked over at Sarah who was shaking her head. "I guess not. We'll just take the check."

"All right then, I'll be right back with it."

"So," Bobby said as he leaned forward, "it's still early. Is there anything you'd like to get out and do?"

"Well, I have been very curious about my apartment. If you hadn't called, I was going to go over there and look around. I know that's not what you meant, but…"

"No, that's fine. I'd like to see what it looks like after two tenants. It could be quite the eye opening experience."

"That's not fair. Now, you're just trying to scare me." Sarah said as the waiter handed the check to Bobby. She reached for it. "Here, let me. I can charge it to the room… my publisher's picking up the tab."

Bobby grinned as he said, "Welllll…no. I asked you to dinner. I'll take this one." Bobby reached for his credit card. He quickly glanced at the check before handing it back to the waiter."

"It will be just another moment," The young man said as he went to run the card.

Looking around Sarah marveled at the nice setting. "It's really nice out here, isn't it? That's one thing about this city, you never know when you're going to come around a corner and be surprised by beauty."

"It's true. You never know." The waiter returned once more with the check. Bobby wrote in a generous tip and then signed. "Shall we go?" Bobby stood and held Sarah's chair. As they stopped at the hostess station to get his parking ticket validated, Sarah's cell phone rang. She stepped aside to take the call.

"Hi Janelle, I was getting kind of worried about you."

"I made the big mistake of coming down to the office after I left you. I've been stuck here ever since. My cell phone died and I didn't realize you'd been calling. I'm sorry I didn't call you sooner. Is there anything you need me to do?"

"No, I'm fine. Don't worry about it. I'm so sorry you got stuck at work though."

"I'm on my way back to the hotel, so if you want to meet in the bar for a drink…"

"Actually, I'm on my way out. I just had dinner with a friend and we're going to go over to check out my apartment. Although I can recommend the Bombay martini with blue cheese stuffed olives from the bar."

"By any chance, would this friend of yours be that Bobby Goren I've heard so much about?" Janice inquired.

"Absolutely. But how about we meet for breakfast and we'll go over all of it then, just to wrap everything up."

"How's 8:30? Or is that going to be too early."

"8:30's perfect, Janelle. Okay, I'll see you tomorrow morning."

"I'll let you go, but I do want a full report from you in the morning."

"Good night Janelle." Sarah shook her head and rolled her eyes.


	10. Chapter 10

CHAPTER 9

Bobby held the door of his car open for Sarah. As she settled herself she felt transported back to their first date. They'd gone out for a nice dinner and then a walk in the park. She'd fallen and badly twisted her ankle and Bobby had to carry her all the way back to his car. He'd also had to carry her into her apartment. After a beginning like that it was amazing there had ever been a second date.

Bobby glanced over at Sarah, who'd become very quiet. He was reminded of their first date. After dinner and a walk in the park, Bobby had driven Sarah home after she'd fallen and twisted her ankle. On the way, she'd fallen asleep, a combination of shock and the three aspirin she'd taken. Looking back, Bobby thought that seeing her sleeping in his car was the moment he knew he'd been right to seek her out.

They were almost to her apartment when Bobby asked, "What do you think about stopping at the bodega on the corner and picking up another bottle of wine?"

Sarah was feeling very relaxed, so relaxed she was almost asleep. " hmmmm, that sounds like a great idea. But we'll need glasses too. There shouldn't be anything left in the apartment."

"They may be plastic, but they'll work." Bobby pulled over to the curb. "I'll be right out."

"Okay. I'll be here." Sarah sat up and looked around. This had been her old neighborhood. This was home. So far, it was feeling pretty good to be in these familiar surroundings. Maybe it wouldn't be so traumatic to return after all.

Bobby returned and got back into the car. "Hey, do you still have your code for the underground parking at your place?"

"I own the building, remember? Of course, I have the code. It's 35947."

"I remember when you wouldn't have trusted me with that info."

"I do too."

"I'm glad you have it, I still hate parking on the street."

Bobby pulled into the driveway and entered the code to open the garage gates. They got out and walked over to the elevator and rode up to the third floor. As the door slid open, Sarah took a deep breath. All of a sudden, she was nervous.

"Oh my, I'm afraid to see what the apartment looks like. What if it's trashed? It was perfect, just the way I wanted it."

She stepped up to put her new code in to unlock the door. Bobby stepped up behind her and placed both his hands on her shoulders. Before pushing the door open, she grabbed Bobby's hand for reassurance.

He squeezed it gently saying, "It's going to be fine. And if it isn't, it's all fixable." He reached forward to push the door open. They took a step forward and Sarah's hand reached inside for the light switch. Flicking it up, the lights came up and Sarah was surprised to find that all of her furniture had been set back up in the apartment.

"How… how did this happen? This was all in storage. All my things were in storage."

Walking into the room Bobby recognized everything in the apartment. It wasn't set up as it had been when Sarah lived here, but it was all the same furniture. Advancing further into the room, Bobby could see there was a note taped on the refrigerator.

"Sarah." Bobby called her attention to the note.

Bobby pulled the note off the refrigerator and handed it to Sarah. She read it aloud:

Sarah,

We came by to see the condition of the apartment earlier in the week. It was in fantastic shape – we had the carpets, windows, kitchen and bathrooms professionally cleaned – not a big deal, just a regular thorough cleaning. Since you'd told us you were planning to move back to the city we got your furniture and everything out of storage. We also had the upholstery cleaned and all your kitchenware washed and linens washed and ironed – again not a big deal, just the accumulation of two years of being packed away. You should be good to go. We hope you don't mind that we did this, but we wanted it to look welcoming when you first walked in, because we really hope you're serious about moving back to the city. All the utilities are on, but still in the name of the management office. Call us and let us know if we still have jobs after this stunt.

Carla & Jill

"Oh my gosh, they _SO_ still have jobs. This is amazing. I guess this means I'm definitely moving back. I can't let all this hard work go unrewarded." Bobby's back was to her so he couldn't see, but Sarah opened the refrigerator. There wasn't any food, there was something much better.

"Don't open that bottle." I think I just found something much better. There was a chilled bottle of Perrier-Jouet champagne and four chilled glasses sitting on a tray. I don't know who they thought was going to be with me when I first walked into the apartment, but they were right in thinking it was going to turn into a celebration."

Bobby opened the champagne and poured them both a glass. Raising their glasses Bobby hesitantly said, "Happy… uh, Happy Homecoming…"

Sarah grinned and said, "Not the most romantic toast, but it's appropriate."

"You want a more romantic toast? How about…"

"That'll do for now." Sarah dodged around him to walk around the apartment, touching the back of her sofa, running her hand along the length of the dining room table before turning to look out the patio doors. "Oh look, they even put up the lights around the patio." She'd had Bobby put them up for Christmas one year and hadn't ever taken them down.

"I don't think anyone ever took them down. I used to drive by every once in a while to check on things and I saw them on several times."

"You came by to check on things here? You never told me that."

"Well, it's not that far out of my way, I'd do a drive by on my way back from Alex and Andy's, it wasn't a big deal." Goren mentally kicked himself, _God that makes me look and sound like such a love sick goof._

"Uh huh." Sarah opened the patio door to let in some fresh air.

Bobby walked over to the stereo and turned it on. Surprisingly, the radio was still set to the same FM Jazz station Sarah liked. He turned the volume low and took another rather large sip from his glass. Turning to find Sarah, he asked, "How about a dance?"

"Oh, I don't know. I'm really out of practice now."

"It's like riding a bicycle. It'll come back quick."

Sarah took another sip of her champagne as Bobby reached out to take the glass from her, "One dance, that's all, just one dance." Bobby nodded in agreement.

Bobby drew Sarah into his arms and slowly started dancing. It wasn't as easy on carpet as it was a dance floor. But he was happy just to be this close to Sarah after so long. That Valentino perfume was really working its magic.

Sarah was a little stiff as she stepped into Bobby's arms. Appearances were always so deceiving between them. Even when they were falling apart, they still looked like a happy couple. And now, Sarah thought things looked like Bobby was thinking along the same lines as she was. That getting back together was definitely an option. There were still going to be problems, but every relationship had its problems. Problems didn't mean it was over. Like Bobby had said earlier, "it's all fixable."

Sarah relaxed in Bobby's arms. She knew she had to find a way to make this happen.

"Sarah?" Bobby spoke softly. "Sarah?"

"Yes, Bobby."

"Sarah, so…." Bobby inhaled deeply, "…so since it looks like you're moving back to the city, and I'm still here in the city…."

"hmmm, hmmm…"

"What would you think about …" Sarah pulled back a little to be able to look up into his face, "um, what would you think about…"

Sarah reached up to wrap her arms around Bobby's neck as she stopped dancing and stood on her tiptoes. She was a little unsteady on her feet and all her weight fell onto Bobby. His hands wrapped around her, held her tight and close as she lightly traced his jaw line while continuing to stare into his eyes.

"You were saying?" Sarah wasn't in any hurry, now that she knew where this was heading. She was willing to prolong this for a while longer.

"Um, I was thinking that we could…" Sarah's arms lid beneath his suit jacket and around his waist. He couldn't breathe any more, he couldn't think anymore.

"Maybe start seeing each other again?" Sarah leaned forward and placed a kiss in the middle of Bobby's chest, something she'd done when they first started dating. She felt Bobby's small shudder and sharp intake of breath. She first started kissing him this way thinking it was cute, because it was where she came to on Bobby when they were both standing. She hadn't realized that it was something special to Bobby until just now.

Bobby finally figured out what to do and his hands went to her face. One hand went to the back of her head, under her hair, gently massaging her head as his other hand tilted her face up to his as he brought his lips to hers, claiming what she was willingly offering. Both hands now on her face, he kissed her as fiercely as she was kissing him.

Sarah suddenly broke away from Bobby and turned away.

"Sarah? I'm… I'm sorry. I thought…"

Sarah shook her head. She turned back to face Bobby and tears were streaming down her face. Bobby took a step forward and reached out to her. "I shouldn't have… I should go…" He'd misread her intentions, her… her level of commitment. He'd pushed too hard, too soon. He'd just missed her so much these last two years. In some corner of his mind he thought he'd be able to will it to happen. He hadn't been able to magically alter any other reality in his life, he didn't understand what made him think he could now.

"NO! No, that's not it." Now it was Sarah's turn to reach out. "Sit down. Let's just sit down on the sofa, and I'll try to explain. But please, please don't go."

Sarah led Bobby over to the sofa. She took several deep breaths to try to calm herself. She reached out, took one of Bobby's hands, and held it in hers.

"Um… okay. I really have to say this, and get this all out now."

"After what Michael did, beyond feeling guilty and responsible, I felt empty and numb. I felt dead inside. Nothing was breaking through the darkness. I didn't think anything ever would again. I didn't want you to see me like that; I didn't want to drag you down with me. That's why I left."

"I know…" Sarah shook her head and Bobby stopped.

"But slowly I started to come back. It started when I first got Sammy as a puppy. Then when I saw you on the beach that night - that was a big shock - in a good way. Those few days together meant so much to me. It… it was like being able to draw a deep breath after years of shallow breathing. Each phone call over the last couple of months, it didn't matter what we talked about, just hearing your voice, knowing you still thought enough about me to call helped too. It's taken me a long time to understand the only times in my life that I've felt truly safe, truly protected were with you." Sarah reached out and ran her hand down Bobby's face.

"Even when Michael had me tied up and blindfolded, I wasn't afraid. I really wasn't. I knew you'd get me out. And you did."

"I never really knew what you were thinking, what you were feeling. Ever. After I'd hurt you so much, I didn't ever think that we'd ever be able to make it work between us again. But when you admitted to driving by here to check on the building, it all fell into place. It has it really has. You said it earlier, 'it's all fixable'. I know there's still a long way to go for both of us, but please, please tell me you believe that. That it's all fixable." Frantically now, Sarah searched Bobby's face, looking for any sign, any indication.

"Oh God Sarah," Bobby reached out for her and pulled her close. "Yes, yes, it's all fixable. It's all fixable. It is baby, it's all fixable." Bobby continued to stroke Sarah's hair.

They sat quietly, holding each other, emotionally drained. Eventually both fell asleep. Bobby woke first. He looked down at Sarah's sleeping face. He felt optimistic about his future for the first time in years. He did believe it was all fixable. Somewhere deep down he'd known that Sarah was his salvation. He hadn't ever thought he had anything to offer her though. He'd always felt guilty that he took so much comfort from her and offered her nothing in return. He'd never seen she was getting comfort from him. He'd never felt that he'd given Sarah anything, but had only taken. Knowing now that he had helped her without knowing, relieved a terrible weight from his shoulders.

"Sarah?" Bobby softly whispered her name.

"Hmmm…"

"Sarah, come on. Help me get you upstairs to bed. You can't sleep here on the sofa like this. You'll be a pretzel by morning."

"A pretzel, huh? I'll go if you promise to stay."

"I promise. I'll stay." Bobby brushed back a lock of her hair and kissed her forehead.

Sarah pleaded, "Repeat after me. I promise…"

"I promise…"

"To stay …"

"To stay…"

"Forever."

"Forever."

"Promise."

"Promise."

"Okay, I'll go upstairs with you. But only because you promised." Sarah leaned forward to stand. Bobby placed his hand on her back and pushed. She turned around and stretched out to grab Bobby's hand to pull him to his feet.

"As long one of us pushes and the other pulls, we'll be fine. You once said that you and Alex had complimentary skill sets, well I think we do too. You and I just need to learn to trust each other as much as you and Alex trust each other."

"That should give us something to work on for the next fifty years or so."

"Is it going to take that long? That seems like a very long time for us to get there." Sarah said as they walked up the stairs.

"It'll be quite a ride though won't it?"

"I suppose that's one way to look at it. Maybe it won't seem like a long time, because we'll be happy and we'll be on the same path."

They collapsed on the bed, wrapped themselves around each other and fell back to sleep. Filtered sunlight woke Bobby hours later. Sarah was still asleep. But he was able to reach the phone on the nightstand. Looking at the clock on the table by the phone, he saw that it was 7:30. That meant he'd slept for over seven hours last night, that was the first night in longer than he could remember that he'd gotten more than five hours of sleep in a night. Pausing to listen for a dial tone, he dialed Eames cell phone.

"Eames."

"Alex. It's Bobby. Hey, I'm taking a personal day."

"No, Bobby. Not today. We're supposed to meet with Carver to prep for the Mahoney trial."

"You can handle it, Eames. Carver's not going to call both of us. It's your turn anyway."

"Who's that?" Sarah whispered.

"Bobby?" Alex's voice dropped to a whisper also. "Bobby, was that Sarah?"

"Eames…"

"No, if I'm going to cover for you. I get to know. You'd better tell me quick. Next time I ask, I'll shout it loud enough for the entire squad room to hear. And if that isn't convincing enough, Logan's already in. And you know, that'll just make his day."

"All right. Yes, of course it's Sarah. Who else would it be?"

"Hi Alex."

Bobby asked, "Did you hear that Eames, Sarah says, 'hi'."

"I did hear that, tell her hi for me. You're going to owe me big for this one. This is one mess I'm not going to get stuck with cleaning up all by myself."

"Alex, don't worry. It's all fixable. Believe that, it's all fixable." Bobby hung up the phone and pulled Sarah close. "It's all fixable." He said as he leaned forward to kiss Sarah.


End file.
